วันพุธที่ 30 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Go Wireless For Always-On Network Connections

By: Ken Snow
If you hate having to turn on a modem every time you use another computer on your wireless network, get ready to be happy. There is a way to resolve this problem, and it's called a wireless router.A wireless router is a small, low-power computer that does nothing but provide Internet access to your wireless network. When you use a wireless router, any computer on your network can be connected to the Internet at any time, regardless of whatever other computers are turned on. This is possible because a wireless router does only one thing, but it does it very well. The router does not even need to be configured before its initial operation in most cases.When you go looking for a wireless router, there are several things to consider. As with any other wireless equipment, you must think about the router's range, speed, and standards. Speed is the top issue for a router, since it may have to provide Internet access to more than one computer at a time. This means that it has to be fast enough to handle this. As far as standards and range go, it is probably silly to buy capabilities beyond what your current wireless set-up has. You won't get any improvements by obtaining a more sophisticated router.We should note that the Linksys WRT54G router is the most popular router currently available. It is also the easiest router to use. It is more expensive than some other routers, however, so you should always shop around to find the best deal. Also, you should make it a point to read reviews about any product you're considering.Installing your wireless router is easy, since most work right out of the box. You should just have to plug it in to the power supply and connect your modem. In most cases, that's all you need to do to begin accessing the Internet wirelessly. In some cases, you might have to perform a few other tasks. The most common issue involves an ISP that uses special software to authenticate your identity before you can get on the Internet. This Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet, or PPPoE, basically allows you to have broadband access while still requiring that you to input a username and password first. Most wireless routers support PPPoE, but you will have to get into the manual and perform some adjustments. You may also need to download an update for the firmware, or on-board software, from the router manufacturer's website.Some of the problems that may arise when using a wireless router involve programs that require a direct connection to the Internet to perform some functions. These programs can be used with wireless routers, but configuring them to do so can be a painful process. Wireless routers may also have built-in firewalls that permit data to come through certain ports only, while keeping other ports closed. Programs that require this opening of ports have become relatively rare, but you may have to make this adjustment at some point. The router's manual will tell you how to handle this if the need arises.

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วันอังคารที่ 29 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

How To Choose The Best New Hardware To Upgrade Your Computer

By: Gregg Hall
The computer you bought in the store is quite nice and it will perform simple functions and allow you to access the internet. It is much better than the old days of paper and pen. Just jump on the computer punch in your data and let the computer do the rest. But is there more? Yes, there is! There are many after market additions you can put on your computer to make it so high tech that it could fly the Star Ship Enterprise, okay maybe not but it will definitely work more efficiently.You can be basic with the extra hardware you get for your computer. There are different chips with massive amounts of storage or chips that can accelerate the speed. The first thing people like to change is the sound cards. Downloading and listening to music on the computer is great, but if you don't have a good system to listen to your favorite songs you might as well be in the car listening to AM radio. There are also many options for the keyboard and mouse. There are some with the mouse built into the key board. These are okay if you have limited space and don't need to use the mouse a lot. You can now get a wireless key board or mouse. This allows you to sit anywhere and use your equipment without being attached to the PC. You can get a key board with many different configurations and added features. For example, a curved key board that is ergonomic to lessen the strain on your hands from long typing sessions. There are buttons that will immediately log you onto the internet and ones that will bring up the start menu for Windows. There have been advances in voice recognition that might make the key board and mouse obsolete in the future.Then there are monitors, and there are many shapes and sizes of monitors out there today. You can find one that will fit the space that you have. There are flat monitors that can be hung on a wall to clear up desk space. There are also flat monitors on pedestals that do the same. You can get a monitor that is as big as a television; this could come in handy for downloading movies.There are a lot of plug in devices you can buy for your PC. Now most computers and attachments use a USB port. Computers often have extra ports in the front and back to allow you to connect many different devices. One of these devices is a digital camera. Digital cameras are great, they allow you to take pictures, put them on the screen, and edit them to your liking. You can also email them directly from your computer to share with family and friends.

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วันจันทร์ที่ 28 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Bluetooth Wireless Technology In Action

By: Gregg Hall
In the United States, Bluetooth gets absolutely no respect. It is however, becoming more and more common in notebooks, PDAs, and especially cell phones. Bluetooth will provide wireless users a way to transmit small amounts of data over short distances. I use a Bluetooth headset from Jabra for my Treo 700.Now, Bluetooth is facing stiff competition from new wireless technology. Referred to as UWB or Ultra Wideband, it promises data transfer of up to 480 MB a second - while most current Bluetooth devices transfer data up to 721 KB a second.For the time being, Bluetooth devices are surely cropping up. Below, we will look at some of the accessories offered with Bluetooth technology.Talking to the dashboardWhen pairing it with a cell phone, the CCM Blue Warrior car kit becomes a great speaker phone that plugs into the power adapter of your vehicle. The noise cancelling microphone will reduce background noise efficiently, with the large buttons making adjusting the speaker volume a snap. Although the Blue Warrior is far from sexy or sleek, it's very practical.Tiny tuning boxPart MP3 player and part hands free phone, the compact and lightweight Sony HBM-30 is an attractive gadget that lets you accept calls with minimal interruption of your tunes. When you get an incoming call it will automatically pause your music, then you speak into the built in microphone that you can wear around your neck or clip to your clothes.The penWith Nokia's SU-1B digital pen, you can doodle and make hand written notes in ink on a special pad then transmit them from the pad to your Bluetooth phone. Being an alternative to typing on a cell phone keypad, the pen is very handy, although a pricey tool from MMS fans.SnapshotsIf you want to make slide shows with your camera photos, the Nokia SU-2 image viewer will let you disply your pictures on a TV or projector. Simply hook this square gray device to your TV's input with the built in cable, then beam the pictures to the SU-2 from your Bluetooth enabled phone and the photo fest will begin.This device is a snap to set up and use, although it displays resolutions of up to 640 by 480. If you have a newer phone that takes high resolution photos, you won't be able to use the Nokia SU-2Image viewer. Keep in mind, the 640 by 480 pixel photos will appear blocky on TV screens, no matter what you do. If your phone can send batches of photos, you can create a slide show - although Nokia claims you can use sequentially beamed shots as well.Even though UWB is on the rise, Bluetooth technology will remain a force in the market for years to come.

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วันอาทิตย์ที่ 27 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Must Have PC Hardware For A Built From Scratch Computer

By: Gregg Hall
You are taking the bull by the horns by building your own computer. Well, before you pat yourself on the back, make sure you have the best technology possible. This is a great feat you are tackling and you want it to turn out as close to perfect as possible. When your PC is complete you want it to hold the best hardware you can find. One of the biggest benefits of building your own computer is that you can customize it. You know what is most important to you. Maybe you are a graphics user. MP3's might be the closest thing you have to a best friend. Perhaps you are writing the great American novel and you are mainly interested in text. Well, since you are building your own machine, you can concentrate on what you want. Collecting the hardware for your new computer is the most time consuming part of the process. You want to make sure that you get high standard equipment that works well with your needs. Take your time and don't try to skimp on your hardware. If you don't heed both of these suggestions, your computer could strike back later.If you are building your own PC, you probably know that the Motherboard is the most important part of your computer. Everything that you plug into your computer will meet here. Be especially choosy when buying a motherboard. And make sure that there is an instruction manual. Some cheapies will not have one. Be aware that the Motherboard will control the future of your computer. All upgrades will have to be compatible with your Motherboard. The chipset in the Motherboard deserves careful investigation. What will it support? Find out before you buy. Take your time. There are a ton of chipsets out there.Pay close attention to how many PCL slots the Mother board has. The more, PLC slots the better because they fill up quickly. How is the board laid out? Check for any problems such as something blocking your long PCI slots. When selecting a case, be aware of the form factor. You want an ATX form factor because that is what almost all new systems are operating on. Try to go with a screw free form factor because it will be easier to work with. One equipped with fans would be optimal.Three are three groups of processors; low end, average and high end. The low end processor is okay for simple tasks. Letters, invoices and other noncomplex applications can be performed on a low end processor. If you do choose to go with a low end processor, realize that these are fast becoming outdated.Average processors are faster and they are just a bit more expensive. For a few extra dollars you will be able to access higher level applications without hassle. This will provide more speed as well satisfying the average computer user.High end processors are the cream of the crop. They are expensive and usually reserved for those on the high end of the pay scale. You will have high memory and no problem accessing complex CPU programs.Memory is a vital element of your computer. Spend the money and purchase the best you can afford. If you don't, more than likely you will need to go out and repurchase a better processor later. Also you will want to make sure you get memory that works with your system.Get a video card that suits your purposes. If you are a small business owner, go with a cheaper, jack of all trades card. If you are building this computer for home use you might as well reward yourself with some perks. Now don't go and spend five hundred dollars on a video card that a top financial institution might buy. Purchase a card that provides just slightly more than you need, but not so high end that it cost as much as the rest of your hardware.You have your mouse and keyboard, right? Get a good hard drive. Buy a new one, opposed to used, to make sure you are getting the best quality.CD-ROM drivers are cheap. Spend a little extra cash and get a really good one. If you want a more advanced unit, buy a DVD player. A DVD player will play CD-ROM's and DVD's. It will serve multiple purposes.

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วันเสาร์ที่ 26 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Making the BSNL DataOne Wireless Home Network Guide

By: Roberto Bell
So, Here is my Step-By-Step guide to configuring a Wi-Fi network with BSNL DataOne. Though many wireless routers claim that it is a no-brainer setup to configure the wireless network, I found it to be not as easy as it looks to be. For example, NetGear comes with a wizard that never works with BSNL broadband connected via HUAWEI SmartAX 880. For those of you desperate to take your BSNL DataOne broadband wireless, follow these steps. It took me more than 2 days to figure and come out with these configuration details.Before I start, let me share what I have:1)BSNL DataOne 256Kbps connection.2)HUAWEI SmartAX MT880 (The modem supplied by BSNL).3) (configuring netgear dg632 for BSNL)NetGear WGR614v5There are 2 steps to configuring your wireless network. First, you have to change the default settings of the SmartAX MT880 modem and configure it to enable PPPoE (PPP over Ethernet). Second, you have to configure the NetGear Router to talk to the modem.Keep your modem, wireless router and your username and password from BSNL handy before you proceed to the next step.If you want to change your existing configuration, take a backup of your configuration. This guide is to build your network from the ground-up.1)Configuring and testing your Broadband connection·Setup the modem as per the instructions mentioned in the manual. Ensure that the RJ11 (thin) cable from the splitter is connected to the ADSL port and the RJ45 cable connects your machine to the Ethernet port of the modem.·Change the IP properties of your Ethernet card to the following:192.168.1.2255.255.255.0192.168.1.1·Open the browser and type http://192.168.1.1 to go to the HUAWEI configuration tool.·Enter ?admin? as username and ?admin? as password·Expand the Home node and select the WAN Setting·Under this web page, configure the following:PVC Number ? PVC 0Wan Type ? PPPConnection Type ? PPPoEVPI/VCI ? 0 / 35Default Route - EnabledUser Name ? Password ? Use DNS ? EnabledMax Idle Time ? Always On·Click on Apply and allow the modem to restart.·Close the browser window·Open the browser and type http://192.168.1.1·Enter ?admin? as username and ?admin? as password·You should see the Summary page. The Status is normally Red indicating that the connection is not ON.·Click on the Plug icon in the Note column to connect.·After the Connecting message, you should see the summary page again with the Status turning Green. Notice the IP Address and the Gateway Address.·Expand Tools node and click on Misc.·Type www.msn.com and click on Ping·You should see Ping Result: Successful·Click on the Lan Settings link under the Advanced node.·Configure the following:IP Address ? 192.168.1.90Subnet Mask ? 255.255.255.0(/24)Local Domain Name ? Blank·Click on Apply and allow the modem to restart·Open the Network properties of your Ethernet card and change the IP properties to the followingIP Address ? 192.168.1.2Subnet Mask ? 255.255.255.0Default Gateway ? 192.168.1.90Preferred DNS server ? 61.1.96.69 (BSNL DNS Server IP)Alternate DNS server ? 61.1.96.71 (BSNL DNS Server IP)·Open your browser and type your favorite URL. You should be online by this time!2)Configuring the Wireless Router and enabling the WPA security·Connect the network cable from the NetGear wireless router to the machine.·Open the IP Properties of your Network card and Enable DHCP. Select the following on the IP properites dialog.Obtain IP Address AutomaticallyObtain DNS Server Address Automatically·Open the browser and type http://192.168.1.1/basicsetting.htm·Enter ?admin? as username and ?password? as the password·Click on Wireless Settings link on the navigation pane and configure with the following valuesWireless NetworkName (SSID) - Region ? AsiaChannel ? 11Mode ? g and bSecurity OptionsWEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)Security Encryption (WEP)Authentication Type ? AutomaticEncryption Strength ? 64bitSecurity Encryption (WEP) KeyPassphrase - ·Click on Generate·Record the value of Key1 ? This is required when you log on to your Wi-Fi network the first time.·Click on Apply and wait till the router reboots(Wireless will not be enabled till you complete the next step)·Click on the Basic Settings link on the left side navigation pane and configure the followingDoes your Internet connection require a login? ? NoAccount Name ? blankDomain Name ? blankInternet IP AddressUse Static IP AddressIP Address ? 192.168.1.91IP Subnet Mask ? 255.255.255.0Gateway IP Address ? 192.168.1.90Domain Name Server (DNS) AddressUse These DNS ServersPrimary DNS ? 61.1.96.69Secondary DNS ? 61.1.96.71Router MAC AddressUse Default Address·Click on Apply and wait till the router restarts·Connect the Network Cable coming from the ADSL Modem to the Wireless RouterFew things to remember ?·Don?t connect the ADSL Lan Cable to the Internet Uplink port of the Wireless Router. It never worked for me. Always connect it to one of the 4 ports excluding the designated Internet port.·IP Addresses can be anything of your choice. But it is a good idea to follow the 192.168.x.x convention·If you get lost any time, feel free to reset the configuration by poking a pin into the reset slot on the modem and the router.·Don?t compromise on the security. Always enable WPA and save your key. Don?t let your friendly neighbors ride on your network!Have a happy Wi-Fi surfing and drop a comment in case you want more inputs.

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วันศุกร์ที่ 25 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

How POS Barcode Scanners Can Improve Your Business Efficiency

By: Ricky Lim
Are you a small retail business owner looking for a way to speed up the waiting time of your customers when they are at the cashiers? Then POS barcode scanners can help you with that.POS barcode scanners or point of sale scanners will allow the cashier to scan the product and all the important information such as product category, product code, pricing etc will be digitally recorded. This process is very fast and easy to learn. The only difficult part comes when you need to tag all your store’s items with a barcode in order for the POS barcode scanner to be able to read. Another advantage of using POS barcode scanners is that all recorded information is easily retrievable. This makes it easy to generate accounting data, ledgers etc convenient. Also the inventory levels in your store can be easily identified as well.POS barcode scanners are not just useful in retail outlets but also can be used in clinics, libraries and any other business or organization where a large quantity of items are being transferred/purchased each day. There are 2 types of POS barcode scanners. They are CCD-based and laser-based. CCD-based POS barcode scanners are more common and cheaper, however they have a disadvantage in that they can’t read rounded surfaces. So if you have products which have a smooth curved surface, it is better to use laser-based barcode scanners. Laser-based barcode scanners can read from any surface and can do this at a greater distance than CCD-based barcode scanners. This is because CCD-based scanners uses cameras to capture the barcode information hence they need to be within close distance of the barcode in order to capture the barcoding information.An important type of barcode scanner is one that uses CCD technology. This technology was widely used in many retail outlets and involves scanning by pressing the scanner on the barcode to feed information into the computer. But its inability to read from round surfaces has resulted in the development of laser-operated scanners, which pick up barcodes from the surface of products even from a distance. With the advent of omni-directional laser scanners, more and more dealers are opting for those barcode readers that send out laser beams in different directions and pick up the barcodes on the products in a matter of seconds.There are a wide variety of POS barcode scanners available in many different configuration depending on your market sector. Some uses USB, others wireless and some are handheld.I personally prefer handheld POS barcode scanners from Symbol and Datalogic. I found they have the best support and handheld POS barcode scanners are light and portable and can easily to transport to other location as I see fit. You can check out their websites for their range of POS barcode scanners.

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วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 24 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

How to Hook Up a TV to a Computer as an Alternate Monitor

By: lucasgreen
My computer right now is hooked up to my 53" TV across the room. It's a pretty cool trick, and if you have a computer and television in the same room you should see if you have a way to hook them up. Doing actual work is best on a real computer monitor (LCD preferred, but CRT acceptable), but watching videos, playing games, and surfing the web are pretty fun things to do from the couch.The resolution of TVs compared to actual computer monitors is pretty bad, unless you have an LCD tv. Mine is not, but even still I find that it is a very cool thing to have hooked up, and it works just fine for watching movies/videos. Games are doable if there isn't a lot of text on-screen that you have to read, but you won't be chatting to your buddies in World of Warcraft if you want to keep from going blind.Word processing / web browsing is tolerable, but can be eye-straining after long periods. Definitely increase the text size as big as you can stand it for reduced eye strain. All in all, I just use my TV for videos because it's much easier to just sit at my desk and use my computer LCD monitor for doing actual work.Most newer video cards have an S-video port on them, and this is the easiest way (and the way I use) to hook your TV up to your computer. Some newer video cards will also have other outputs, and some newer TVs will have VGA or DVI inputs to take a regular monitor cable. Just look at the ports on both devices and you should be able to tell if they have one in common, then you just have to figure out what they are. If they do not have one in common, look on your TV for an S-video port (it's a black circle about the width of your finger), and if you find one, you just need to buy a video card (they can be had for less than $100) that has an S-video out.Once you have them hooked up with a cable (S-video or otherwise), you'll need to go into your driver settings on the PC. In Windows, right-click on the desktop and hit Properties to access the Display Properties window, then go to the Settings tab. On some video cards you can select/enable an alternate monitor (the TV) right from this window, but on most video cards you have to click the Advanced button and configure it there.Most of the good video cards will let you display the screen on both devices (your monitor and your TV) simultaneously, but the geForce card I have right now will only let me use the two displays as side-by-side desktops. This actually works out better for me, because I can have news or whatever playing on the TV, and keep working on my normal desktop. I'm not sure if you've heard or seen it, but Bill Gates uses a triple desktop on his computer (3 LCDs) -- I hope you're as jealous as I am!

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วันพุธที่ 23 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Network Marketing as a Home Based Business

By: Diep Tran
With the Internet being such a large part of everyone’s lives today, it’s only natural that many people are also seeing it as a way to earn money at home. Although some people are operating “regular” jobs on the Internet such as distribution of products and secretarial services, the majority of Internet home based businesses focuses around network marketing. It is, by far, the most popular home based business on the Internet, as well as the easiest with the lowest initial investment.For those who are looking for a home based business that allows you the freedom to work at home but for which there is no investment, you will have to be careful with network marketing. Some of the networks that are already established have a minimum sales quota that you must meet in order to receive any compensation from the sales of those in your downline. This is contrary to some of the network marketing organizing with which we are familiar in our neighborhoods where the bonuses are paid solely on the work of your network as an entirety rather than whether you buy anything or not. For example, if the terms of the parent company state that distributors will be paid three per-cent for sales over $100, it doesn’t matter if you bought anything that month as long as your organization did at least $100 in sales. This is not, however, the case with all network marketing organizations.Do not be misled by those who tell you that you don’t have to do much work, that the business will sell itself. That may be true at some future date, which is the residual income aspect of network marketing, however, in order to reach the level in your business that it makes money for you in your absence, you have to do a lot of hard work setting it up. Even if your organization places your downline for you, you will need to work with those people by training, supporting, and educating them in the way the business works. In fact, you are more of a mentor to your downline than in any other business you may start. As an individual business owner, you will be responsible for paying your taxes and keeping track or any items that are tax deductible. There is no employer above you to provide that information for you, and the parent company is not even obligated to provide a 1099 form unless you reach a high enough level that the busies are coming directly from the corporation. Therefore, you need to establish an accounting system for your business before you begin to do anything else. A home based network marketing business is most assuredly capable of making you a success, but it will not happen without an enormous amount of hard work and some investments in your business.

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วันอังคารที่ 22 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Looking to Buy Compatible Printer Cartridges Online?

By: Roberto Bell
With so many online stores out there to choose from, it is a daunting task to pick the right one. Here are some tips to choose an online store and make good, informed purchases of compatible ink cartridges and toner cartridges.1. QualityCheck whether the store says anything about the quality. It may be true that all the stores that talk about quality may not \"really\" offer quality products. But, suppliers offering quality products would definitely like to tell and publicize about it. It is always good to check vendor\'s commitment to quality. 2. PriceWhile you should check for lowest price, it should not be the only criteria for the decision. You will see different prices at different online stores, often at unbelievable price differences from one store to another. The deciding factors should be quality, return policy and customer service if you want to avoid bad experiences. You should make an informed decision while purchasing the printer cartridge. 3. WarrantyThe online store allows you to return a product only if there is still warranty on it. Make sure that the store has a good warranty policy. While a 90 days warranty is ok, it is better if the store offers a warranty for 6 months on the printer cartridges. If there is a problem with a cartridge, you will normally notice it with in few days of installing it. It is rare that a cartridge fails after working for few weeks.4. Customer serviceThis is also important like the price. You should expect and get the best service. I tend to prefer customer service over price while making a purchase. Recently for the holidays, I purchased an item from a leading electronics store website. I was charged for shipping even though free shipping was offered. I had to make about 15 calls and wait for a month to get the amount credited. I will think twice before buying from that online store again.5. Return policyI would prefer the store to offer free shipping to return the defective cartridges. It may not be a big deal compared to the gas and time that you spend to return an item even at some leading chain stores, but it certainly helps. It gives me confidence knowing that the purchase is risk free.6. WebsiteThe site should be easy to navigate and find the inkjet cartridge or toner cartridge that you want. There were instances when I had to give up buying from some online stores just because I could not navigate to the products that I wanted to purchase.In addition to the above, it is also good to check security and privacy policy of the website before making a decision. While this article gives tips for printer cartridges, these are useful for any online purchase.

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วันจันทร์ที่ 21 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

The Importance of Good Quality Printer Ink

By: Roberto Bell
Many people often ask me this question: \'Why is my printer producing such poor quality prints?\' The answer, of course, is that even the highest quality, most expensive printer will not perform at its best unless you invest in good quality printer ink.Take this analogy, for example. A good artist will paint his pictures on high quality canvas. He does this because he knows that it offers the best surface for a beautiful painting. However, this is all for nothing if he uses bad paints - and if a painter wouldn\'t use poor quality paint, why would you use poor quality printer ink? In this article, we\'ll discuss the different types of printers available, the reasons you should avoid buying poor quality ink, and how making the right choice of ink cartridges will allow you to get much higher quality prints ? for the lowest price.Modern printers employ extremely complex technology in producing prints. Gone are the days when we all used chunky old dot matrix printers at home. The average printer today produces extremely high quality prints through the use of laser and inkjet technology. Here are the two types of printing technology most popular for home use: -Laser PrintersLaser Printers use precision lasers to cause toner to adhere to the paper. They are known for producing high-resolution prints at a high speed - along with a very low cost-per-copy. Laser printers work in much the same way as photocopying machines ? using a laser to create an electrophotographic image on a photoreceptor surface, applying powdered toner to the photoreceptor and then pressing or rolling it over the paper, creating the print. As laser printers can produce high-resolution graphics and text quickly, they can print anything up to 200 monochrome prints a minute, or 100 color prints. Despite the low cost per print, the printers themselves can be very expensive when compared to inkjet printers. They are therefore most commonly used in offices, where speed and quality of prints are of vital importance.Inkjet PrintersInkjet printers are the most popular printing medium for home use. They use water-based inks that are forced by an electrical charge to form bubbles, which are then applied to the surface of your printer paper. Inkjet printers tend to be less expensive than laser printers, but they can be prone to lower quality prints ? especially if you use poor quality ink. In addition to this they take much longer to print each page, and the cost per print can be much greater than laser printers.The reason inkjet printers have such a high cost per page is because the user must replace the ink cartridges more frequently. It is a well-known fact that printer manufacturers often sell their printers at enormous discounts and then mark up the price of the cartridges. OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) cartridges are often vastly overpriced.The ProblemSeveral problems that may occur when using poor quality printer inks include streaked images, missing colors and ink bleeding. While these problems can be very frustrating to experience, they can usually be avoided simply by using good quality inks.Unfortunately, since OEM cartridges can be prohibitively expensive many home users choose to opt for the cheapest cartridges available. While this option offers good savings, the customer may suffer from poor print quality. The SolutionFortunately, there is an ideal middle ground to be found between high-priced OEM cartridges and poor quality options. Many businesses now offer the option of extremely high quality remanufactured OEM cartridges - and new third party manufactured cartridges - at considerable discounts over the manufacturer\'s own product ? often up to half the manufacturer\'s price!Remanufactured CartridgesThese are simply spent OEM cartridges that have been cleaned, refilled and tested for quality. Due to the fact that they are rigorously tested before sale, this type of cartridge is essentially identical to the manufacturer\'s variety, offering the same high quality prints - but with vastly better value.OEM Compatible CartridgesThese are entirely new cartridges produced by a third party manufacturer. They are designed to be 100% compatible with their designated printer, so there is no requirement to make any modifications to allow their use. While OEM compatible cartridges are manufactured by a third party there is no reduction in print quality. They are considerably cheaper simply because the customer is not paying for a brand name product. So, you have three options: 1) Buy an OEM ink cartridge at the manufacturer\'s inflated price; 2) Buy a recycled and refitted OEM cartridge at a much lower price, or 3) Buy a third party OEM-compatible cartridge, offering the same print quality as an OEM cartridge but without the brand name price tag. With these options, there is simply no reason why any consumer should pay the artificially high prices for the manufacturer\'s product. It makes infinitely greater sense to be smart ? choose a high quality remanufactured cartridge or a third party product. You won\'t be disappointed by the quality.

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วันอาทิตย์ที่ 20 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Learn about DS3 connection using DS3 line

By: Groshan Fabiola
It is helpful to know that a DS3 connection is comprised up of two monthly charges. One is the local loop and the port charge. The local loop charge is the cost of the circuit provided by the Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) that allows DS3 access into the carrier's network. The loop charge is based on the distance from the customer's location to the edge of the carrier's network; the farther the customer is from the network, the more the loop will cost. Nearly every carrier prices loops differently so it is in your best interest to price DS3 service with several providers to ensure that you walk away satisfied.A DS3 line is also called a T3 line, which can be confusing to most who are not familiar with internet lingo. DS3 is a high-speed connection that is capable of transmitting data at up to 45 Mbps. A DS3 line is equal to approximately 672 regular voice-grade telephone lines, which is fast enough to transmit full-motion, real-time video, and very large databases over a busy network. A DS3 line is installed as a major networking artery for large corporations and universities with high-volume network traffic. Other example applications include large call centers, enterprise wide VoIP and IP PBX systems, Internet service providers, research labs, video conference centers and software development companies. A DS3 is the second fastest, non-optical connection offered in North America. A DS3 line is comprised of 28 T1 lines, each operating at total signaling rate of 1.544 Mbps.Digital Signal consists of cataloging digital circuits according to the rate and format of the signal and the equipment providing the signals (T). DS and T designations are used synonymously. Therefore, DS1 means T1, and DS3 implies T3. In addition, DS3 circuits provide businesses and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with up to 45 Mb/s of dedicated Internet connectivity. This is an ideal solution for users who have outgrown their T1 connections and are in search of unlimited, high-capacity access. A DS3 line actually consists of 672 individual channels, each of which supports 64 Kb/s. DS3 lines are extremely high bandwidth connections into a carrier's backbone. They typically include SLAs (Service Level Agreements) that guarantee uptime and performance.DS Internet Access is the ideal solution for businesses that require high-bandwidth access at a reduced price. Whether you host high-traffic Web sites, support Web hosting or need high-capacity bandwidth on an as-needed basis, there's a level of DS3 service (Full or fractional) that will meet your needs. Fractional to full DS3 or T3 circuits run from speeds of 3 Mbps up to 45 Mbps.The 28 DS1 signals are multiplexed into seven DS2 signals. Then, the seven DS2 signals are multiplexed into one DS3 signal. Each multiplexing step uses bit stuffing to handle the different input frequencies. Overhead bits provide alignment, error checking, in-band communications, and bit stuffing control information.

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วันเสาร์ที่ 19 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Notebook Buying Tips

By: Roberto Sedycias
Why notebook became so popular? It has been estimated that notebook sales has increased an average of 20% per year in the United States alone. Among the many advantages it offers, portability is one of the main reason people end up making a purchase of it. However before any purchase is made, other features should be considered as well.Notebook was first made available in the early eighties. Although much heavier and bulkier than today's notebooks, it had the unique portability feature that put this innovative product in a class by itself. Although not much of a commercial success then, it gave the computer industry a goal to pursue in manufacturing this item with better weight, size and performance ratio and making one of today's most wanted computer hardware.Notebook size has got much smaller, however big enough to make one feel very comfortable in handling and operating computer related tasks. One can find it in sizes best categorized as: 1 - Tablet Pc has the size of paper tablet and weighs no more than 4 pounds; 2 - Ultra Portable is a little bigger than Tablet Pc and weighs around 4 pounds, no internal CD or DVD drive, display of 12 inches or smaller; 3 - Thin and Light is a mid-size notebook, 10-14" x 10", 1 to 1.5 thick, and weighs around 7 pounds, wireless network capability, 14-inch displays, combo CD-RW/DVD; 4 - Desktop replacement is the largest category of notebooks, more than 12 x 10" and weighs more than 7 pounds, 15-17 inches displays or larger, wireless network capability, combo CD-RW/DV.Also an important feature one should look for is performance. Notebooks provide very close performance in comparison with traditional desktop computers, and should handle all computer related tasks with great ease. Whenever purchasing a notebook, make sure it has the latest cpu model, large ram memory and hard disk space. Notebook performance is directly related with cpu clock, ram memory and hard disk space. For these items, big is never enough.Another feature one should look for is the dvd player. It can come in handy for entertainment purposes, enabling one to watch movies while traveling. Wireless connection is also a feature to look for in a notebook. Some notebooks feature an infrared port, which can be used to connect a mobile phone. Also there are other wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which allows mobile phone, printers and PDA to be connected at certified public and private network. The ability to have a mobile connection is definitely a plus in today's connected world.Expansion capability for notebooks can be done thru the use of plug-in pc cards. Although there is a new standard called ExpressCard, which is smaller and faster plug-in card that provides more features for multimedia tasks.Notebooks have certainly become an item required for one's mobile computer related tasks, whether it is used for public, private, personal or professional purposes. Its portability and small size make an attractive all around computer hardware item. For those looking for mobile computer hardware, notebooks can certainly become a good solution at affordable prices.Roberto SedyciasIT Consultant This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author´s name and all the URL´s (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

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วันศุกร์ที่ 18 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

The Necessity of Barcode Printers in Modern Times

By: Kevin Taylor
A barcode is a machine-readable representation of information in a visual format on a surface. Barcode is widely used to implement Auto ID Data Capture (AIDC) systems that improve the speed and accuracy of computer data entry.A barcode printer is a computer peripheral for printing barcode labels or tags that can be attached to physical objects. Barcode printers are commonly used to label cartons before shipment, or to label retail items with Universal Product Codes.Desktop barcode printer has become a commonplace tool for entering product information at retail chains and shopping complexes. Industrial barcode printers are used in manufacturing facilities and large warehouses helping in inventory management and sales process automation.The most common barcode standards are UPCs and EANs. Universal Product Code Bar Code - The standard bar code printed on retail merchandise. It contains the vendor's identification number and the product number which is read by passing the bar code over a scanner.European Article Numbering is the European standard for barcodes. There are two different versions of EAN bar codes, EAN-13 and EAN-8, which encode 13- and 8-digit numbers, respectively. A special EAN-13 bar code with a 5-digit supplemental code is used on books to encode the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and the price. This bar code is called “Bookland”.Traditional one-dimensional bar codes use the bar's width to encode a product or an account number. Two-dimensional bar codes, such as PDF417, MaxiCode and DataMatrix, are scanned horizontally and vertically and hold considerably more data. PDF417 is widely used for general purposes. MaxiCode is used for high-speed sorting, and DataMatrix is used for marking small parts.Barcode Printers employ two major printing methods – Direct Thermal (DT) and Thermal Transfer (TT).Direct thermal printers use a print head to generate heat that causes a chemical reaction in specially designed paper that turns the paper black. Direct thermal printers are generally less expensive, but they produce labels that can become illegible if exposed to heat, direct sunlight, or chemical vapors. Barcode printers require regular cleaning of the ribbon and the print head. Specks of dust may cause distortion of the bar codes. The outputs of these printers using ANSI software need to be continuously checked in order to check for system malfunctions.Thermal transfer printers also use heat, but instead of acting directly on the paper, the heat melts a waxy or resin substance on a ribbon that runs over the label or tag material. The heat transfers ink from the ribbon to the paper. Thermal Transfer requires the use of a heated ribbon to produce long-lasting images of data onto a label and/or tag, whereas Direct Thermal process prints the image directly on the label/tag.Direct thermal and thermal transfer barcode printers can print bar code labels on variety of media. The range of bar code printers vary from light duty printers to rugged and high speed industrial printers for meeting diverse requirements. In industrial printers, the range varies from medium to heavy duty to extra heavy duty printers. These printers can be integrated to existing applications / ERP for on demand label/tag printing.Industrial barcode printers are used in large warehouses and manufacturing facilities. They have large paper capacities, operate faster and have a longer service life. For retail and office environments, desktop barcode printers are most common.

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วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 17 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Setting Up An Economical Computer Network

By: Roberto Bell
Nowadays it is becoming more difficult to get anywhere in the business world without some sort of computer network infrastructure. And not just any kind of infrastructure either but the proper infrastructure that not only makes your information secure but your employees happy. In the past, this used to be large facilities, lots of staff and just generally being able to convey a feeling of being large and powerful. People were impressed by power and by large displays of it. While that still works to a certain extent today, there are other, much easier ways to get the message across.One of those ways is by showing your customers, investors and employees how smart you are in terms of the budget and how cheaply you are able to build your infrastructure. Being able to save a lot of money in the day-to-day operation of your business is definitely something that many people will find impressive today, because it shows a modern kind of intelligence that not many people are able to prove that they possess.One of the easiest ways to save money in operating your business is to be smart about the things you purchase and more particularly about your electronic infrastructure. Computer networks easily eat up the lion's share of the operational budget for most companies and most companies don't particularly care about that either. The computers run their business and they are afraid to do anything that might tamper with that smooth running.While a little skepticism can be healthy, having too much skepticism, which might make you avoid good pieces of used networking equipment or simply buy the most expensive products available, can result in you leaving a lot of potential money out there on the table.Advantages of Saving Money on Your Computer NetworkThere are many advantages that a company faces when they are able to build an economical computer network (or alternatively replace an expensive one with a more economical option). These advantages include:- Less money spent on your computer network and electronic infrastructure means more money that you have to spend on supplies, logistics or simply use to raise the morale of your employees.- More economical computer networks, in addition to incorporating second hand elements like used networking equipment or individual units, also frequently cut down on the amount of clutter around, making the jobs of your employees easier to do.- Investors are always looking for companies and corporations that are able to protect their bottom line. Showing your ability to protect your bottom line by building a more economical networking solution will go a long way towards impressing investors and convincing them to back you.Ways to Build a More Economical Computer NetworkNow that you understand how building a more economical computer network can help you, here are some steps that might help you get started and walking in the right direction.- Look for ways to reduce redundancy: While many computer networks are constructed in an extremely intelligent fashion, there are many that have redundant features built into them. Whether this is to guard against multiple power failures or any other reason is anyone's guess, but sometimes a network will have a component that just does not make sense. Get an experience computer technician to look over your network with the goal of reducing redundancy to a minimum.- Consider buying second or even third hand products: Many of the huge conglomerate corporations regularly replace their network parts every couple of months. They do this because technology changes so fast in the present and also because they want to stay at the forefront. This allows you to be able to pick up things like perfectly working but used networking equipment at a fraction of the cost that it would cost you to buy it new.- Consider power saving equipment: One of the indirect ways that networks cost you money is in how much energy they use up. Used networking equipment can sometimes be guilty of this and as such when you are looking at equipment (regardless of whether it is old or new), try to make purchases of equipment that has been built to conserve energy.Final ThoughtsThere are many different methods that savvy business owners can use to build economical computer networks, but it definitely is not an exact science. Use your common sense and get creative when thinking about ways to save money. The more ways you can think of to save a little bit of money, the more money you will save overall.

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วันอังคารที่ 15 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Does The Type Of Computer Printer Paper You Use Matter?

By: Richard J. Martin
When I need to print a word document or a photo, I, and I think like most, reach for the paper borrowed from your place of employment at the time, proceed to stick it in the paper tray of my inkjet printer and let it rip, right? However, am I doing the right thing by using just any old paper that I have on hand?Let’s do a little prospecting. Generally speaking, the main types of paper are copier paper, computer printer paper, and photo paper. Let’s try and break it down.Copier paper is what you would use at your place of employment to mass produce originals that you may need to distribute or file. Copier paper is usually very thin and lucid. The quality of paper is determined by how bright it is, or to put it another way, how much light passes through it. For mass production of work documents to be filed or distributed, quality is not that important. You can use recycled copier paper, which is approximately eight to ten percent of the total paper used today.There are primarily two types of computer printer paper, matted or glossy. Matted paper has a “very bright” outside layer. Glossy paper, on the other hand, has a shinny finish. So what type of paper should you use for your inkjet or laser printers? If you are printing draft copies, quality will not matter too much, so plain copier paper is good enough. However, if you are printing a final draft or color presentations, etc., a thicker coated paper, matted paper, is recommended because it allows for sharper colors and a better resolution image.For photos, a glossy finish is desirable, or in some cases necessary. why? Because the ink dries faster on a glossy surface which, in turn, produces sharper images. A 4x6 size is the most popular for printing photos from your computer printer.In addition to the types of paper, it is also important to know it’s characteristics. The first one is weight. The higher the paper weight, the thicker the sheet of paper. Higher paper weight is also stronger and has a substantial feel to it. In addition, less light will pass through it. Heavier paper should be used for presentations and final drafts, whereas standard weighted paper is used for everyday printing and copying. The second characteristic is brightness. Most paper will have a brightness rating between 80 and 100, where 100 is the brightest. The brighter the paper, the better your printed result will be. The third is texture. The type of paper texture you use for laser printers will be different from that of an inkjet printer by nature of how the ink is distributed to the paper. A laser needs a flat paper for sharp results. Inkjet printers will require the use of a rougher surface. This will produce a clear result, as it will not scatter on the surface of the paper, but rather cling to it for a sharper image.There you have it! The type and characteristics of paper vary, but knowing each will yield the result you want to obtain.

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วันจันทร์ที่ 14 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Why You Should Use Compatible Ink Cartridges

By: Richard J. Martin
In today's world, we all use personal computers for either personal use or for a small business. Chances are that we have a printer attached to it.Over the past ten years, the market and use, for both personal computers and inkjet printers, has increased dramatically. Technology, over the same period, has brought the cost of computers and printers down. However, the usage of printers has increased tenfold. As a result of this increase, most people quickly found that using brand named printer cartridges, such as Lexmark and Hewlett Packard, became quite costly.Enter The Compatible Ink CartridgeSo, what are compatible ink cartridges? Simply put, they are a reused ink cartridge shell with all new parts contained within that shell.So What Are They Advantages?First, the quality that is produced from this cartridge is just as, if not, better than that of the brand name ink cartridges. The result will be professionally made documents.Second is cost. You will see that over the long run, you will save anywhere from 54% to 76% using compatible ink cartridges.Third is that using compatible ink will NOT affect the warrantee of your printer. It is illegal for a company to void your warrantee just because you use a compatible ink product.So it makes PERFECT sense to purchase compatible ink products. If you are looking for high quality, low priced printer cartridges, http://www.Tonerr.Com has both Original Equipment and Compatible Ink Cartridges. Compatible Laser Jet Printer Cartridge, and Ink Jet Printer Cartridge are specially manufactured to meet or exceed Original Equipment specifications with higher standards of quality and reliability, which produce professional printing results. With only new components, these cartridges are an economical alternative to expensive name-brand printer cartridges and supplies. This provides you with big savings over brand-name printer cartridges.

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วันอาทิตย์ที่ 13 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Why The "Brand Name" Printer Ink Companies Hate Third Party Vendors

By: Richard J. Martin
If you purchased a Lexmark or Hewlett Packard inkjet printer over the past year, you must have noticed that the price you paid was surprisingly low. However, the ink cartridges that they sell with the printer will cost an arm and a leg, Right? (you might want to read "How to tell which printers are cost effective" ) What gives?Well, the logic big companies use is something like this: price a brand new Gillette razor really low so you can sell the replacement razor blades really high, make sense?Consumers are getting increasingly mad about having to pay high prices for brand named ink cartridges, like Lexmark and Hewlett Packard. "The brands dominate; together, Canon, Epson, Hewlett Packard and Lexmark account for 84 percent of the ink replacement market" states Tom Spring of PC World Magazine.Enter the independent third party vendors. They are trying to capitalizing on a $21 billion dollar market need, by selling compatible ink cartridges and ink refill kits. Can you blame them for finding a niche that consumers are crying out for? The big name companies claim that third-party vendor ink is inferior to the brand-name versions. But are they?Everything I have read or have experienced indicates quite the contrary. According to Neil Slade's research on testing compatible ink cartridges, he states, "Not only did I test nearly a dozen brands of inexpensive inks (two tests over a long period of time) none of them failed (even the ones with bad color) by clogging my print heads-- especially the G&G ink, which I have used for a year to print tens of thousands of documents. Of all the inks I tested, only Arrow failed because of bad cart ink flow, not even because it clogged the head."It has been published that the gross margins on an Epson ink cartridge, for example, can sometimes top 60%. However, the Lexmark's and Epson's of the world will deny those percentages. Why then would they go as far as to plan implanting a chip inside their ink cartridges? A chip you say? Because the printer you purchased from them would only print once it recognizes this chip, thereby virtually eliminating the compatible ink cartridges market.The brand name manufactures are also defending the reason for the high cost of replacement ink by saying that they are spending huge amounts of spending on technology improvements. "Predictably, Hewlett Packard and others say their cartridge prices aren't high considering the cost of research and development and manufacturing the equipment. Mr. Jotwani points out that at Hewlett Packard, an ink jet printer cartridge is very sophisticated. For example, each has 40 microscopic nozzles that precisely expel billions of ink dots across a page. Hewlett Packard is also attentive to ink quality to assure uniform viscosity and color".So, after all is said and done, do you think it all comes down to money? The big brand name companies are just trying everything in their power to justify the cost of their ink products.If you are looking for great prices and high quality, http://www.Tonerr.Com site has both Original Equipment and Compatible Ink Cartridges. Compatible Laser Jet Printer Cartridge, and Ink Jet Printer Cartridge are specially manufactured to meet or exceed Original Equipment specifications with higher standards of quality and reliability, which produce professional printing results. With only new components, these cartridges are an economical alternative to expensive name-brand printer cartridges and supplies. This provides you with big savings over brand-name printer cartridges.

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วันเสาร์ที่ 12 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Understanding How An Inkjet Printer Works

By: Richard J. Martin
Computer printers are great when they work correctly, but when they do not work as they should, they can become a real source of frustration. If you know how an inkjet printer works, then you are likely to have fewer problems with it and you are more likely to be able to make simple repairs to the printer yourself.Inkjet printers are the cheapest printers that you can buy, and because of this many people elect to purchase them instead of the more expensive laser printers. An inkjet printer places very small droplets of ink onto a page that it is printing. The droplets are so small that they are nearly invisible to the naked eye. It is by putting a number of these tiny droplets together that you can see an image or print on your printed page.The inkjet printer, and other printers like it, never actually touches the piece of paper where it is printing. Instead the inkjet printer uses a series of nozzles to spray the ink onto the page, and thus gives you the final image that you see on the paper.Since inkjet printers never actually touch the paper they are considered to be "non-impact printers". Typewriters on the other hand used a solid impact to place the image on the page. The actual shape of the letter or number from a bar on the typewriter would hit a ribbon and push the ink onto the page.There are a variety of other types of non-impact printers, but many of them are rarely used or are considered too expensive. Often, you can find an inkjet printer for under $50 and this helps make the inkjet printers more appealing to most consumers.Inside the printer you will find many different parts. The print head is the main part of the printer; it contains a series of nozzles that spray the ink onto the paper. There is also a print head stopper motor that moves the print head back and forth across the paper while printing. A belt attaches the print head to the print head stopper motor, and a stabilizer bar is used to stabilize the print head.Inside the printer you will also find the paper feeder and the paper rollers as well as a paper feeder stepper motor. The paper feeder stepper motor synchronizes the movement of the paper with that of the print head so that the images that are printing appear on the correct place of the page. Most of the newer inkjet printers are using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port to connect to your computer, but there are still quite a few older models that use a parallel port.When you purchase a new inkjet printer, it will come with a disc that you will need to install the software onto your computer. Once you place the disc into your computer it will activate an installation wizard. Generally the installation wizard provides some very easy-to-follow instructions on how to place the software into your computer.The only hardware that you will actually need to install in the inkjet printer is a power cord to an electrical socket, a cord from the printer to your computer (either a USB port or parallel port), and then you will need to install the ink cartridges, leaving you with only the paper to load.For people who have never used a computer printer before, the main things they are interested in when learning is how to load the paper and how to replace the ink cartridges. For the average computer printer owner, these are the only maintenance tasks they will need to carry out during the life of the printer.The actual ink cartridges will vary according to the particular model and brand of printer that you have. Some brands have one ink cartridge for black and one for all other colors; some printers have only one cartridge that contains all colors, including black. Yet, other models will have a separate ink cartridge for every primary color.When you buy a new printer, be sure and read the box to see if the printer comes with ink cartridges or not. It would seem apparent that every new printer would come with ink cartridges included, but that is just not the case. When you do have the need to replace the ink cartridges, you want to be absolutely sure that you get the correct replacement cartridges. Different brands and models of printers use different ink cartridges. I have found it best to remove the old ink cartridge and check the part number to be absolutely sure that I get the correct replacement ink cartridges for my printers.If you are willing to buy your replacement ink cartridges in advance of your current cartridges running out, then you can expect to save some big money by buying your ink jet cartridges from internet retailers. Don't take my word for it, shop around and compare prices. You might be surprised to see how much some of your local stores are marking up these essential computing products.Knowing how you will use your printer will help you to decide what type of printing paper to purchase. If you intend on printing a large number of photos you may want to get a higher quality photo-paper. If you are a college student using a printer primarily for term papers, then a lower quality paper will usually serve your needs just fine.You can find inkjet printers made by a variety of manufacturers at a wide variety of prices. You can spend as little or as much as you want on an inkjet printer. Your purchase decision will greatly depend on how you plan to use your printer. Again, if you plan on creating photos or business cards with your printer, you may want to opt for a higher quality model, but if you simply want to print out some papers, then it might make better sense to go with a less expensive printer.

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วันศุกร์ที่ 11 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Purchasing a Video Card

By: Deam Rass
A video card or graphic card is a device that allows for the visualization of images on your computer monitor. Without the card you would not be able to view images, play games or see colors. If you are anything less than a graphics card expect, the shopping process for a video card can be grueling. With a bit of knowledge it should make the trip easier and you may just come home with the correct video card. There are currently more than sixty types of video cards that range in price and specifications. In order to decide which card is right for you there are a few things that you must understand first. Keep in mind the type of computer, purpose and uses of the computer, as well as the expectations for rendered image. After that is all decided you must remember your budget when shopping for the video card.The type of computer that you have is one of the most important issues when deciding on a video card. You must ensure the compatibility of the card with your PC or it could be a waste of money. To ensure compatibility you will need to know what type of card slot the computers mother board has for the video card. There are three types of card slots that we will discuss further. • PCI Slot – the PCI slot is short for Peripheral Component Interconnect and is not exclusive with any one processor type. PCI was the first expansion slot made by computer manufacturers. The PCI has limited performance, but there are several value cards that offer acceptable performance.• AGP Slot – the AGP slot is short for Accelerated Graphics Port. AGP has many versions and was first designed for 3D gaming abilities. Today the AGP 2.0 and 3.0 are sold, but the 1.0 is no longer in use.• PCI Express – this is the latest card slot and is up to four times faster than the PCI slot or AGP slot. The PCI Express was made with the intention of replacing the PCI and AGP slots for the extended performance ability. Note PCI and PCI Express are not compatible and are very different products, not to be confused with one another. Along with knowing the card slot type you must also know the requirements and specifications of the CPU. When we refer to requirements and specifications we mean the CPU type and speed. If you are purchasing a video card for regular viewing the 500 MHz will suffice, but for optimal use the 800 MHz is suggested. When viewing images it is important to have a higher MHz or your system may become overloaded. The 1600 MHz range is suggested for limited 3D gaming and running other applications such as business applications or graphics. For optimal 3D gaming the minimum CPU would be 2.4 GHz. Much of the CPU speed depends on computer use and personal budget. The faster the CPU the better and more realistic the special effects are. Cost rises as CPU speed rises!by: www.diamondmm.com

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วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 10 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Upgrading your PC Memory

By: Roberto Bell
If you find that your PC is grinding to a halt on even the simplest tasks, or gets unstable when you have a number of different applications running, then it might be time to upgrade the amount of memory it has. This is one of the simplest ways of boosting the performance of your computer, but despite its simplicity, there are still plenty of things to consider before you start.These days, the absolute bare minimum of memory that you should have in your machine is 512MB of RAM. Resource hungry graphics applications that you might use with your digital camera will require this much to process filters and create pretty effects on images. Also, Windows Vista, the latest Microsoft Operating System needs this as a minimum to run.For the latest games, you should consider even more, at least 1GB of RAM onboard the motherboard, and more on a dedicated graphics card to free up to processor to run the game or other software.Having more memory will also allow your computer to run more processes at any one time. This will speed up every action, from initial boot up through to ripping CDs onto your hard drive, and navigating the web.The first step in increasing your onboard memory is to open your PC up. Most motherboards have a number of parallel slots close to the main processor which you insert the memory chips into.The simplest way of finding out exactly what kind of memory chips your motherboard is compatible with is to use Google or another internet search engine. Generally you will need to get DDR memory, as this is the most common type.Memory is sold in fixed amounts, most retailers will stock 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB packs. The pack contains a circuit board with the actual chips attached which will slot directly into your motherboard. You should buy the best chips your budget runs to, and be sure to check with the retailer that the memory you buy is compatible, as many stores do not offer cash refunds on components if you make a mistake. The actual installation of the new memory is simple. Make sure your PC is turned off and grounded, and then carefully slide the memory chip into place on the motherboard. It will click into place. If you have more than one chip to install, simply repeat the process until you are finished. Then switch your PC back on, and you should notice the difference as soon as you start working again.

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วันพุธที่ 9 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Notebook or Desktop Computer, What is the Best Buy ?

By: Roberto Sedycias
The idea of purchasing a personal computer may be appealing to a lot of people, however they may feel undecided as weather to go for a traditional desktop computer or for a light weight portable notebook. Several aspects should be taken into consideration as for the purposes of such acquisition. If the main purpose of buying a computer is for occasional use, regardless if it is for work or entertainment activities, one may consider buying a traditional desktop computer taking in consideration that its price is usually lower than the portable version.The maintenance and eventual upgrade of a desktop computer is also much easier to perform and less costly. If the buyer is looking to spend the least amount of money, definitely the desktop computer models offer more choices of finding better deals weather it is used or new. One may look around the local computer stores for special deals or may consider browsing the many possibilities offered online stores.Perhaps the greatest feature a desktop computer has is the fact that quite often it can be upgraded and personalized to suit the user needs without having to be sent back to the manufacturer. In most cases a local authorized computer store can perform the technical changes or upgrades to satisfaction. The desktop computers are meant for work and leisure as well and regardless of its configuration or how fast it can perform, it seems that it became an everyday tool of modern times.On the other hand, if the main reason for the purchasing of a computer is portability, then in this case the notebook will be the right choice. There are several brand names available on the market offering all kinds of configurations, from very basic up to the most sophisticated and powerful late models of notebooks. After a careful research on which model will better suit your needs, then you will still have the option to choose to buy a new, reconditioned or used unit for the sake of saving some money. Keep in mind that a reconditioned laptop purchased from a computer store, usually comes will full warranty, just like as if you had purchased a brand new model but for a much less cost. Just like any other purchase, it is important to do a careful research to find out what exactly your needs are and what are you going to do with it. The lightweight and portable notebooks are much nicer to carry around even though they are usually more expensive. Also the lightweight models almost always have a smaller screen and a more compact keyboard than traditional models of notebooks. So, in this case if weight is not a critical issue, than you may just consider to purchase a traditional regular-model notebook as long as it meets your requirements. If you choose this later option you will certainly be saving a great amount of money.If you are the kind of person who feels skeptical about purchasing a reconditioned computer, because it has been previously returned from the manufacturer, relax, some times there is absolutely nothing wrong with the returned unit. It may have just been a matter of model preference or some minor detail that didn`t quite match the previous owner`s preference. Keep in mind that a reconditioned notebook with a full warranty is just as good as a brand new one and maybe even better for the great discount it usually offers. Also you may find some good deals in refurbished notebooks. Beware that the difference between refurbished and reconditioned notebooks is that the former is usually an older notebook that has been used and then reconditioned, often by a third party, and the later usually means that it had some problem, went back to the manufacturer, got fixed and now it is available at a fair discount price with full manufacturer guarantee. The right solution for one`s computer related tasks, whether desktop or notebook, will depend mostly on one`s working or leisure needs. Search carefully for the best deals and avoid paying extra for accessories you will hardly use. Also take a look at reconditioned (full warranty) computers. The price will certainly surprise you. And the performance might too!Roberto SedyciasIT Consultant This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author´s name and all the URL´s (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

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วันอังคารที่ 8 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Notebook As A Tool Of Time Management

By: Roberto Sedycias
Notebooks have emerged as a bare essential for the business executives who carry their work along with themselves. Notebooks which are also known as laptops can facilitate the work process thereby saving substantial and valuable time. In short, it is used as tool of time management. Owning a notebook is a dream of many, but since it is very expensive nobody buys it unless it is indispensable to them. However, some people having shoe-string budget look for a good notebook. They are the ones who need detailed and comprehensive information on notebooks and laptops before they settle for one. Basically, buying a notebook or laptop largely depends upon the personal choice, specific requirement and social status of a person. Besides, different manufacturers are introducing notebooks of different look with a wide-range of features. However, some notebooks are launched in the market to cater to a particular segment of buyers keeping in mind of their specific needs. Accordingly, these laptops differ in flavor, class and quality. Let`s take a look at the various types of notebooks that are available in the market today. Keeping various factors in consideration the notebooks can be broadly divided into four major categories, such as:Budget laptops - Typically, these laptops cost around US$ 1000 to $ 1200. Mid-range laptops - Notebooks of this category can be found with a price-tag of about US$1200 to $1600.Ultra-portable laptops - These light-weight laptops ranges from US$1600 to $2200. Laptops for the people with a class apart. With all the standard and advanced features in these notebooks, they cost above US$2200.Performance test of laptops: Notebooks can be tested on the basis of certain benchmarks such as Multimedia content creation 2003 and Business Winston 2002. These tests determine the performance ability of different notebooks with regard to regular productivity applications and multimedia content application. Similarly, 3D Mark05 and 3D Mark06 are used as standards to measure the gaming and graphic potential of different notebooks. Likewise, PC Mark05 is taken as a yardstick to test various components of notebooks such as hard-disk general usage, multithreading, web-page rendering, file decryption and 3D pixel shader. Moreover, the battery back-up and wireless connectivity can be tested using Battery Mark02 and QCheck as the benchmark.Finally, Vista Compatibility Check can be undertaken to test if the notebooks have Vista-readiness. Under this test, the performance of the laptops is assessed on the basis of Vista drivers and Vista upgradeability. Features: When it comes to features, the list seems endless. Some expensive notebooks have the most advanced features such as built-in webcams, fingerprint readers, TPM and so on. So far as the features go, they can be divided into five different categories, such as:Physical - Screen size and weight of the notebook Connectivity - Bluetooth version 1/2, infrared, MMC reader, S-Video, DVI port, FireWire. The number and type of USB ports and PCMCIA slots. Components - Type of optical drives, whether the notebook has a DVD combo, a CD-RW or a multi-recorder DVD-RW. The hard-drive capacity and any additional component such as wireless optical mouse or an MMC adapter. Software - Software have always been an essential part of the package. These include recovery CDs, driver CDs, OSes, etc. Protection - All types of protection available in a notebook, be it a finger-print reader, BIOS level HDD protection, touch-pad lock, TPM, or even rescue option available at the time of boot up. Pricing and Warranty: All notebooks ranging from $1200 to $4500 offer warranty of 1 year and some laptops have the option of additional extendable warranty. So, the above discussed comprehensive analysis and performance tests will definitely help those who are planning to buy a laptop. This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

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วันจันทร์ที่ 7 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

All About Playstation 3

By: Roberto Sedycias
Fasten your seatbelt and get set for the ultimate entertainment explosion! Playstation-3 is a gaming experience that is beyond anything known today. It is a computer entertainment system that unleashes a brilliant, high-definition entertainment experience which is incomparable. It delivers the next generation of interactive entertainment. Playstation-3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment. A major feature, that sets it apart from its predecessors, is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network. Other main features of the console include its huge multimedia capabilities, connectivity with the playstation portable and its use of a next generation optical media, blu-ray disc, as its primary storage medium.There are models of four types that are usually referred to by the size of their included hard disc drive; 20, 40, 60 and 80 gigabyte models. All retail packages include one or two six axis controllers, a video/stereo audio, a power cable, a USB cable, output cable, and an ethernet cable(20, 60 and 80GB only). Numerous accessories for the console have been developed for the system, including the wireless six axis controller, the BD remote, the playstation eye camera and the upcoming play TV DVB-T tuner/digital video recorder. The system has bluetooth 2.0, gigabit ethernet, USB 20 and HDMI 1.3a built-in on all models. Wi-Fi networking is also built-in on the 40, 60 and 80GB models while a flashcard reader (which is compatible with memory stick, SD/MMC and compact flash/micro drive media) is built-in on 60 and 80GB models.The playstation-3 version of the `Xross Media Bar` includes nine categories of options. These include users, settings, photo, music, video, game, network, playstation network and friends. Also it includes the ability to store various master and secondary user profiles, manage and explore photos with or without a musical slide-show, play music and copy audio CD tracks to an attached storage device, play movies and video files from the hard-disk drive, an optional USB mass storage or flashcard, or an optical disc (blu-ray disc or DVD-video), compatibility for a USB keyboard and mouse and a full web browser supporting in/compatible file download function. The friends menu allows mail with emoticon and attached picture features and video chat which requires an optional playstation eye or eye toy webcam. The network menu allows online shopping through the playstation store.The 80GB playstation-3 provides ample hard drive storage space for games and other entertainment content from the game network. The free membership in playstation network allows you to play free games online, allows downloading of special content and be in touch with your friends. The inbuilt Wi-Fi allows for flawless connection with your network. It includes hard drive for all photos, music and personal videos.The six axis wireless controller gives more precision and freedom during game play. The picture quality is pristine with the capability of full high-definition resolution at 1080p. The built-in blu-ray disc drive provides for high-definition games and entertainment. Sony has also announced the dualshock3, a controller with the same design and function as the six axes, but with vibration capability included. It was released in Japan in november 2007, while a spring 2008 release date has been scheduled for Europe and North America. The playstation-3, at first, received generally unfavorable reviews like late, expensive and incompatible, but after a series of price drops and the release of several quality titles, the system has begun to garner better reviews. Their motor sport game is wildly popular and their list of games is getting larger and longer. With its cutting-edge technology, the high-end Sony playstation-3`s larger hard drive and ability to play playstation-2 games makes it a worthwhile alternative to cheaper models.

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วันอาทิตย์ที่ 6 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

How to Save More on Toner - Other than By Just Price

By: Richard J. Martin
Is there more we can explore on the subject of how to save on toner, other than by just price? You would be surprised; there is a whole lot you can talk about. For instance, here are a few examples of how you can stretch your ink cartridge dollar:Most printer software or the printers themselves have a warning indicator that lets you know when you are running low on toner. This in no way means your out of toner, but does indicate a bottom is near. The first way you can stretch your dollar is by taking the ink cartridge out from the printer and shake it. This will spread the toner evenly so you can substantially increase the remaining use of the cartridges life and at the same time; give you a better cost per page rate.The second way you can save is when you are ready to print a page, scroll to your page set-up function and look to see if there is a draft mode that you can check. This uses less ink than if you were to use the "normal mode". Obviously, only use this setting when printing draft copies and not your final copy.The third way is to stock up when you make your purchase. If you are an office that uses a lot of copier toner, making this type of bulk purchase can save you plenty as you will probably get a steeper discount for doing just that.A fourth way is to do your homework. Check a printer's yield. You can see what yield means by clicking on this link: How to tell which printers are cost effective. Basically, what yield tells you are what it is costing you to print just one page. This kind of puts all printers on the same playing level when comparing the on-going costs of toner.If you are looking for low prices and high quality, www.Tonerr.Com site has both Original Equipment and Compatible Ink Cartridges. Compatible Laser Jet Printer Cartridge, and Ink Jet Printer Cartridge are specially manufactured to meet or exceed Original Equipment specifications with higher standards of quality and reliability, which produce professional printing results. With only new components, these cartridges are an economical alternative to expensive name-brand printer cartridges and supplies. This provides you with big savings over brand-name printer cartridges.

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CD Data Recovery - A Simple Procedure To Save Your Data

By: Ron Heller
It is accustomed to think of data recovery as something that has to do with restoring information of hard drives, cassettes, internal computer memory etc. Not any people pay attention to the fact that nowadays CD data recovery is a common practice, and can be done in many cases. Your CD in many cases will include valuable information that you can't just forget about, and the restoration of that data is vital. The process is at many times fast and easy, and requires some special software we'll talk about below.But first, let's look at the possible causes for the data being corrupted on your CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD:1. Virus attacks - though anti virus software is now present on almost every computer, some viruses still manage to spread. A few of them may cause damage to the files on your CD.2. Lost drive letters - for example, When installing a new storage drive, your CD letter may be changed or lost3. Lost partitions - due to magnetic field etc. 4. Configuration errors - happen in the configuration process, and surface afterwards. 5. Drive limitations that improperly read the files to the CD. This makes the recovery of data on a CD often complicated, but rest assured that there is always hope for recovering your lost data.Let's take a look at two solutions that are on the market today, that can help you solve your CD data recovery challenge:Bad Copy Pro - This program will automatically rewrite the lost files back to the hard drive .It will recover missing or lost data from documents, images, and even applications you have on your CD. Bad Copy Pro is not expensive and comes with success rate of more than %80. It also does not overwrite the files on the CD, which often can cause problems.Multi Data Rescue -this program is used by many experts to do their data recovery to their damaged CD's. This program is usable in the Windows interface and is considered to be very user friendly. It can be used to recover files from:1. CDs and DVDs2. Digital media 3. Memory cards 4. USB devicesThese two programs are an example for good software that is out there to help you in your hour of need. There are many more solutions, of course, but these two will do to start with. The most important thing is to not give up when you do encounter a CD data recovery scenario. Put technology to the work and you may be surprised at the results you get, for a low price and time investment.

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วันเสาร์ที่ 5 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

USB Flash Drives are Great for Rapid Instant Storage

By: Alex Rider
These are tiny portable storage devices that are known by the other terms like 'memory stick'. USB drives such as these are created by a whole host of brands such as Mini Cruzer, Lexar and Memorex, to name but a few. Computers that are less than 8 years old, or those that have a USB port work with USB flash drive technology. Prices of these drives have gone down significantly now with some models of around 1GB of space costing under $100.The most frequent use of USB flash drives is for transferring data from work to home computers, negating the old requirement to ferry a laptop to and fro.Flash drives are not as new a technology as you may think. These drives started back in 1963 as a new concept, and beginning production in 1968 as integrated circuit chips known as 'Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor's' (CMOS). These chips soon became standard in the vast majority of electric devices available. CMOS chips managed a computers basic system settings, rather like the 'Basic Input/ Output System's' (BIOS) of today.Flash memory is a type of non-volatile computer memory that is able to undergo electronic erasing and reprogramming. In opposition to 'Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory' (EEPROM), typical of general PC memory, this flash drive memory is able to be erased or programmed in various blocks made up of numerous locations. These devices are highly durable, computers don't need to be shut down when they're removed, and there are no moving parts ('solid-state'). Due to their very small size, around the size of a lighter, the biggest problem encountered is that of simply misplacing it. Many come with attached cords from which you can hang them around your neck or attach them to things e.g. your wallet.What is important to know is that these devices have a limited lifespan. Only a certain number of write cycles are possible, depending upon the manufacturer and/ or model. As such these drives should generally not be used as an extra document folder with documents being saved frequently, e.g. every 5 minutes, for long periods of time. High levels of re-writing i.e. saving data tend to rapidly wear out the flash drive's memory.To stop people stealing your USB flash device and retrieving potentially important and/ or secret information getting USB flash drive stored information encrypted through a manufacturers recommended encryption service is a great idea.With this kind of storage device data recovery is typically possible, especially if there is no physical damage. Recovery can be performed on your USB flash drive far from various recovery experts' offices simply by them accessing it through an internet connection in your PC.

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วันศุกร์ที่ 4 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Network Storage Options For Today's Computing Needs

By: Christine Harrell
Today's computing networks typically have very powerful client computers with significant amounts of captive storage attached to each one. Processing power is very easily available and the Internet interconnects a huge number of private networks and individual computers. Captive storage for clients, servers and dedicated applications has exploded. Successfully executed backups and (more importantly) successful restores, may mean the difference between gracefully recovering from data loss and starting the countdown to seeking new employment.As processing power proliferates, and dedicated captive storage follows along with each new machine, storage "islands" are gradually formed. Islands are dedicated storage arrays or volumes that are only used by a single host or a single application. One example of a common island is an Exchange server with an external SCSI array; another could be a SQL server with some dedicated RAID-protected drives. Captive locally attached storage for a database cannot be shared out to other computers nor can it be easily grown, moved or duplicated without placing a significant burden on or even causing downtime for the host. These islands represent wasted hardware investment dollars, since many times some are underutilized while others are overflowing. Also these islands propagate over time they increasingly burden the systems administrators with management of the new growth. Storage islands often cause backup problems, requiring dedicated tape drives and software to manage multiple individual backup tasks - not to mention the time and burden on the host when a restore is necessary.The benefits of centralized storage are that application data can be combined into a single storage device or pool of devices called a Storage Area Network (SAN). SANs provide very high performance data storage that can be scaled as needed. File sharing services, usually proved by partially or wholly dedicated servers, can be consolidated into a Network Attached Storage (NAS) server. A single application server can share files as well as host dedicated application data, as well as run software for backup and restore tasks. But as servers grow in capacity while narrowing their specialization, the advantages of consolidating become clearer.With increasing pressures of security, regulatory compliance and corporate governance, management of business data is becoming ever more complex and important. Technology is allowing organizations to create and store exponentially more data; the key to being successful is managing that data explosion.Consolidation means reducing the amount of time spent managing tasks, jobs,applications and data growth. Moving all types of data to a single, central, redundant and high-performing storage server could mean less time spent handling repeated storage-related tasks and worrying about backup failures.Direct Attached Storage (No sharing of data resources)The most common form of server storage today is still Direct Attached Storage (DAS). The disks may be internal to the server or they may be in an array that is connected directly to the server. The storage may only be accessed through that server. An application server will have its own storage; the next application server will have its own storage; and the file and print servers will each have their own storage. Backups must either be performed on each individual server with a dedicated tape drive or across the LAN to a shared tape device consuming a significant amount of bandwidth.Storage can only be added by taking down the application server, adding physical disks and rebuilding the storage array. When a server is upgraded then its data needs to be migrated to the new server.SAN (Sharing of data resources)A SAN allows more than one application server to share storage. Data is stored at a block level and can therefore be accessed by an application, not directly by clients. The physical elements of the SAN (servers, switches, storage arrays etc.) are typically connected with Fibre-Channel. Backups can be performed centrally and can more easily be managed to avoid interrupting the applications. The time taken for backups is dramatically reduced because the backup is performed over the high-speed SAN and no backup traffic ever impacts users on the LAN. The primary advantage of a SAN is its scalability and flexibility. Storage may be added without disrupting the applications and different types of storage may be added to the pool. Adding storage capacity has become more simplified for systems administrators, so it is no longer necessary to bring down the application server. Additional storage can simply be added and then configured and made immediately available to those applications that need it. Upgrading the application server is also simplified; the data can remain on the disk arrays, the new server just needs to point to the appropriate data set.The actual implementation of a SAN can be quite daunting given the cost and complexity of Fibre-Channel infrastructure components. For this reason, SAN installations have primarily been confined to large organizations with dedicated storage management resources.The last few years have seen the emergence of iSCSI (which means SCSI over IP or Internet Protocol) as a new interconnect for a SAN. iSCSI is a lower cost alternative to Fibre-Channel SAN infrastructure and is an ideal solution for many small and medium sized businesses. Essentially all of the same capability of FC-SAN is provided, but the interconnect is Ethernet cable and the switches are Gigabit Ethernet, the same low-cost technology that is commonly in use today on most LANs, slightly lower performance but most organizations will not notice.Network Attached StorageA NAS appliance is a simplified form of file server; it is optimized for file sharing in an organization. Authorized clients can see folders and files on the NAS device just as they can on their local hard drive. NAS appliances are so called because they have all of the required software preloaded and they are easy to install and simple to use. Installation consists of rack mounting, connecting power and Ethernet, and configuring via a simple browser-based tool. Installation is typically achieved in less than half an hour. NAS devices are frequently used to consolidate file services. Toprevent the proliferation of file servers; a single NAS appliance can replace many regular file servers, simplifying management and reducing cost and workload for the systems administrator. NAS appliances are also multi-protocol, which means that they can share files among clients using Windows and UNIX-based operating systems. Administrators manage the NAS device via a browser window from anywhere they have network access and can assign shares, security settings etc. NAS fits right in with existing security and network management tools. As the business grows and needs more capacity, more storage can be added to the NAS device without disrupting users. One of the most common requests to a systems administrator is to restore a single file or group of files. With NAS, a feature called Snapshot™ is available that provides an almost instantaneous way for the systems administrator (or even an authorized user) to recover lost, deleted or corrupted files.

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วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 3 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

The Pros and Cons of Recycled Tape Media

By: Christine Harrell
Buying recycled tape media for your storage drives can be a smart way to reduce costs associated with data storage. However, there are facts that you must consider before choosing lower-cost recycled tape storage. While some businesses regularly use recycled tape media to meet their data storage needs, there are arguments against its use as well.Just like the audio tapes that you could re-record again and again, computer data can be erased, resold, and reused. Companies that sell recycled tape storage such as Graham Magnetics and DTC buy used cartridges from businesses, then inspect, test, and retest each individual cartridge and sell it as "like new." Because these are not new, it's less expensive than buying it as new. If you do decide to use recycled data storage, it's important that you choose a company that guarantees and certifies the quality. There is no industry standard definition of "certified" when it comes to this type tape storage. The value of the certification is essentially as strong as the reputation of the company that provides the refurbished tape and marks it as certified. The most prominent concern with purchasing used tape media is that the end consumer has no idea where they originated or how it has been cared for. Though high-quality tape recycling companies thoroughly test and hinge their reputation on the quality of what they are selling, the 'origin unknown' factor just doesn't sit well with some. Tape media doesn't last forever and does deteriorate over time. With used products, one doesn't necessarily know how far along in its lifespan an individual used cartridge is. High temperatures and humidity are both factors that can shorten the lifespan, no matter its age. If stored properly, new cartridges will generally last for 20 years. Suppliers of used tape media often offer their own lifespan guarantees. Graham Magnetics for example offers a quality guarantee of 10 years while DTC backs the quality of their cartridges for 5 years. If you're serious about keeping your data for longer than can be guaranteed by a recycled tape media provider, then you may want to choose to purchase new cartridges. The choice to use new or recycled depends on your company's current situation. For a new, budget conscious company, choosing recycled storage for its lower cost is far better than holding off on implementing a data storage solution because of the cost of new media. Plenty of companies have relied on recycled tape media with no problems whatsoever, but ultimately you must balance the potential risks and rewards associated with new and used tape media against your individual business strategy.

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